Found Harmony House on Instagram as my toddler loves cats and unfortunately we are not able to get one at the moment. So I wanted to take her to a place where she can visit and play with cats and Harmony House was perfect for that. They had a Holiday Bazaar event which was a free event and they had raffles, a bake sale, etc. All proceeds went to helping the cats. What we loved about Harmony house was that it's a cage free shelter for cats. They had several rooms filled with different cats that you can go into and play with them for however long you wanted. It's a great way to get acquainted especially if you're thinking about adopting! There were several cats available, different breeds and all different temperaments. Such an awesome cast shelter to visit! All of the people that worked there were so friendly and informative too! They all knew the names of each kitty and some names were very clever. If you're looking to adopt a cat or thinking about it, I highly suggest checking out Harmony House For Cats! read more

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What brought me to Harmony House were the humane traps they "rent" out (as long as you bring the trap back, they never charge you a dime). So I can't comment on the adoption process, but I can speak to the friendliness of the staff/volunteers and the cleanliness of the facility. I was trying to help out a stray cat who'd been coming by and meowing loudly at the door. I was not in a position to adopt another cat, and never once did anyone pressure me to take one of their very cute residents home. Fast-forward to two weeks after picking the trap up, and I'd caught all manner of local wildlife but not the cat. I called to see if I could get a weeklong extension and they cheerfully gave me two more weeks. The building is very clean and modern. Everyone there was very nice when I was picking up and dropping off the trap, if a little harried. I got the impression that they work hard to care for the cats they have and that they sometimes get unscheduled drop-offs (when I showed up to get the trap, the woman who met me at the door looked relieved and said that when the doorbell rang, she was afraid it was "another dump") -- which is sort of heartbreaking. I hope people who have the room and the resources to adopt will check out Harmony House, because their residents certainly deserve a second chance. read more

This place is the total opposite of Famous Fido(TOTALLY avoid that place, btw), and you can tell they really care about the cats they have, for adoption. I've checked out this shelter before, and you can tell they really care about their cats, and the livelihood of each cat they have. Totally come here, if you are looking to adopt a cat. And the staff is all pretty decent, here. No condescending attitudes like I remember noticing at Famous Fido, and the staff actually does want to help you here. read more

We used Harmony House to adopt a senior cat in 2019. She had been adopted out and brought back and had biting issues. HH had us visit three times before they were comfortable letting a special needs, and already adopted and returned, cat go home with us. They were very helpful and our sweet kitty has been with us ever since, even at 16 she's playful. She doesn't bite anymore, is incredibly affectionate, and loves people. As a cat that was labeled as very difficult, HH clearly did a great job at caring for her, even when they thought she'd likely never be adopted out. Highly recommend. read more

Cute cats! They have several rooms of different cats and they are so cute with her own personalities.

I can't sing enough praises about Harmony House and our wonderful experience adopting a cat there. I had lived with my wife and her cat for about a year and a half, but I was a total rube when it came to the process of adopting a pet. The people at Harmony House not only put me completely at ease but also found us our perfect match and for that we are very grateful. This was our third stop on our kitty-search. We had enjoyed one very positive experience at a similar type of establishment, but at the second place we were appalled at the poor conditions and the useless staff, so going into this visit I didn't know what to expect. Harmony House was better than I could have imagined: a clean, spacious, modern facility full of many different cats to choose from, all ages, sizes, colors, personality types. And the staff are so gracious, patient, knowledgeable, and compassionate. They will bend over backwards to make you feel welcome and to help you find the right cat. Our exceptional adoption counselor Amanda knew almost everything about all of the residents and asked lots of questions about our current cat and what we were looking for. She showed us at least a dozen specific cats in every single room, including some of the isolation units. She let us spend as much or as little time as we wanted at each stop and did not pressure us whatsoever to select a specific feline. Long story short (trust me, I could go on effusively), we found our match that day thanks in great part to Amanda. At that point, Kathy, one of the higher-ups, checked in to ask a few more questions and then let us know that they would need to follow up with the vet on Monday morning (this was a Sunday) to make sure that the cat was ready for adoption. A few days later, both Amanda and Kathy ushered us through the paperwork, highlighting the important points of the contract, and set us up with a kitty care package containing some toys, catnip, food coupons, and informational pamphlets. They even included some milk-jug rings that our girl had been playing with earlier that day. What a sweet touch! Harmony House gives a two-week health warranty, so when it became apparent that our little bundle of joy was not getting over the "kitty cold" that she brought home, arranging vet care was very straightforward. We called the shelter and described the problem; Kathy referred us to their animal hospital of choice (Portage Park) and then faxed a purchase order to the hospital to cover the payment. After three visits for her cold, a minor ear infection, and a dental procedure, now our Penelope is healthy and very happy in her new home. I cannot recommend Harmony House enthusiastically enough. If you are a cat lover, please consider adopting from them or donating money or materials. They are the best shelter out there, and so deserving of your support. read more

We adopted an adult cat from here two years ago. The shelter staff really know the cats and take the time to show you around and introduce you. We were looking for a cat that was pretty unflappable, since s/he would be joining our Urban Zoo and needed to get along. We adopted a "special needs" cat because his personality was perfect for our household. It is so easy to give a pill to this cat which is good since he needs two a day. read more

A wonderful shelter that takes great care of its cats. I used to volunteer here and I highly recommend it; basically you go over there and you pet cats. And let them sit on your lap. And sometimes dangle toys in front of their faces. Tough work if you can get it, right? Here are a few cats that have been there a while and have winning personalities: Mother Nature, Fredrica, Jerry, Crosby, Wink, and Scar. Go adopt these buddies! read more

Unhelpful, bordering on useless. I recently called Harmony House for advice on what to do about kittens born in my back alley. "Chance," who answered the phone, kindly took my phone number and promised that I'd get a call from Jennifer the next day to talk about placement options, and I followed up with an email that included additional details, along with an offer to make a donation to this non-profit in thanks for their assistance in an amount of their choosing. I got a followup email from "HHC Volunteer Ann" that basically said Jennifer couldn't be bothered with these kinds of questions, so don't expect a call back. I can understand if the shelter was too full to take in these newborn kittens, but this dog owner would have appreciated some direction/suggestion on another agency to approach. They're supposed to be the experts who care about Chicago cat welfare, right? I wanted to do the right thing and work with a no-kill shelter - but was disappointed with the non-responsiveness of this shelter director and her staff. They may be a great home for cats that somehow find a place there - but you wouldn't know it from their management of basic community inquiries and potential donor relations. read more

I have been volunteering here for a long time and while there are many shelters which do an excellent job, I can't imagine a group that is more dedicated to the health, and happiness of their feline residents. If you want to adopt a cat, volunteer to pet cats or help with outreach , this is the place to go. Great work Harmony House! read more

A) I now have two great cats (only one of whom is swiping at a houseplant right now). B) I plan on coming back and visiting the other awesome kitties. (Trusty is looking for a lap, you know. A big lap.) C) What a great center. Totally committed staff, happy kitties. Adopting from Harmony House was a wonderful experience. I know I supported the best cat shelter I've ever known, and the staff sent me along with thoughtfulness and care. I'll be back -- not to adopt (I'm outnumbered as it is!), but to hang out with the great personalities (feline and human). read more

We adopted our second cat from this shelter a year ago. Our experience with them was great and I'd highly recommend using and supporting this shelter. When we first arrived, the counselor spoke to us for awhile about ourselves, our home (we had one cat already), our other cat's personality, and needs etc. Based on what we'd said, she introduced us to a number of the cats she thought might work with us. The first cat we were really drawn to was pending adoption, which was kind of a bummer. But after a month or so, we decided to try again and went back, this time with success! Harmony House had gotten him from The Anti-Cruelty Society, so I'm assuming his name had been added to the short list, which would have been very sad because he was only 1-year-old and had the sweetest personality. It was evident from the first moment we laid eyes on him that he was a friendly (albeit reserved) guy. And now that we've had the chance to have him in our home for the past year and have gotten to know his personality, we're even more thankful for the advice and help we received from Harmony House. Oliver gets along really well with our first cat (Molly), loves having his belly rubbed and doesn't miss an opportunity to cuddle on the couch. read more

Came by yesterday on our search for a kitty. They had a bunch of adorable cats young and old, big and small. Some were special needs. There was one cat in particular that absolutely melted my heart and broke it at the same time. He had both of his eyes removed due to an infection. But he was getting around just fine! He was a sweetheart. But my issue with the place is with the staff not with the quality of animals. I went in requesting to see cats that they had between the ages of six months and three years..... all of the Cats in that age range were not available to be adopted for various reasons. The young woman who was showing us around was asking me if we were interested in any of the special needs cats. I have nothing against any animal with special needs but I myself and my mother to three small children and I would be this cat's primary care provider...... therefore dealing with a special needs cat was a bit more of a responsibility that I'm able to take on at the moment. After that she then started showing us some of the elderly cats. Again I have no problem with elderly animals but I want the cat to be around for a little while especially with my kids being so small... I don't really want to have a conversation with my 4 year old as to why the cat that we bought last month pass away..... I really would have loved to adopt an animal from this place but they are really trying to push the elderly and special needs cats out the door as a priority. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that because those cats need good homes also. But when we came in there with a specific type of cat in mind and told them about what it was that we wanted and then they still try to push a cat on us that does not meet the criteria to fit our family was just wrong. They are taking care of those animals very well and those cats are in a very loving environment. So if you have room enough in your home and in your heart to take care of one of these elderly or special needs cats definitely go to Harmony House! They really do have some Sweetie Pie's in there! read more

Share some love with some sweet kitty cats! Become a volunteer or adopt one ( or two)! More info at www.hhforcats.org

Can't say I'm an expert on cat shelters, as I grew up with dogs all my life, but I had a great experience adopting my first cat from Harmony House. My girlfriend had a cat for about 4 years, and we had been living together for about two when I decided I would like my own little furry creature to enjoy. We had driven past many times so we decided to start there. Harmony House was very clean, and we were greeted immediately when we entered. The rooms for the cats were huge, clean, and allowed for great interactions with the cats. We visited some of the standard rooms before being shown a an inner room with the "Game of Thrones" Litter. The mom's name was Sansa, and had her litter while at Harmony House, so all of her kittens were given names from the books. Tyrion chose me almost immediately when entering the room. We were able to leave the room, see some other cats and come back to see Tyrion. Not once during the experience did I feel pressured to go home with a cat, or felt like I was being talked down to for not owning a cat previously. The adoption process itself was quick and painless, and they were fantastic to throw in some toys that they knew Tyrion specifically liked (PIPE CLEANERS OF ALL THINGS, STILL GOES NUTS FOR 'EM!). Again, I'm no expert, but as someone who had never adopted a cat before I was very thankful to be at Harmony House with no pressure, no intense scrutiny and intensive questioning, just a great experience and now the best cat running around my home. read more

If you're looking for a new kitty, this is where you need to go! I told one of the counselors what I was looking for, and I ended up adopting the first one she showed me. After volunteering at multiple shelters, and having adopted a cat from one of them, this experience surpassed my expectations with a personal touch. read more

What a great experience! I was looking for a couple of furry bonded feline companions and found them at Harmony House. Because the cats I wanted to adopt were shy, I needed to visit them several times. The staff was alway helpful and happy to see me. The adoption paperwork process was quick and easy. The cats are kept in rooms, not cages so it's easy to interact with them. I highly recommend Harmony House for your next furry feline! read more

Humane, compassion, loving is what we experience after visting Harmony. I admire their hard work so much, it is not only take time but dedication and love to the work they do. By the way they talk and share stories of every cat, you can tell how much they love these cats. Please share, donate, and adopt from Harmony. read more

Adopted our cat from here and it was a great experience. We had a hard time At the other shelters in the city due to judgmental staff based on the fact that we were first time cat owners. The employee we worked with was really fun, easy going and informative. She helped us to find a good fit and was honest and forth coming the entire time. The process took us under 2 hours and we had a really great time! Our kitty is home and settled now! read more

I've visited several shelters and this one is the best. It's the cleanest and the odor is minimal. Very well organized business with detail-oriented volunteers. Donation acknowledgments are sent out quite promptly, usually within 1 - 2 of their business days. They have a great selection of healthy, well-cared-for cats. There are 3 floors of cats with several isolation rooms (for kittens, medical, new, etc.). Extremely knowledgeable volunteers who spend a lot of time socializing the shy cats. Other shelters claim to do so, but I'm skeptical. read more

Harmony House was a little hard to find as there is no signage out front. (They said this was due to too many people dumping their cats there! How sad...) The counselor was friendly and helped us find the perfect cat based on the personality we were looking for. Unlike many other shelters I've visited, Harmony House was hassle-free, and the people were actually nice (which is what you would expect of animal lovers, right?). We're picking up our kitty this week and we can't wait! read more

i love harmony house! i am a recent volunteer there, and have nothing but good things to say so far. their volunteer orientation is painless and easy to schedule and, within no time, you are able to get around to socializing and meeting so many interesting cats with many eccentric and playful characters. if you're like me, and aren't able to have pets in your residence (or you just know that you're in your early 20s and are barely responsible enough for yourself [and cats can't live off of a diet of 40s]), GO HERE! also, such wonderful volunteer coordinators and staff members work here! you can tell they truly love and care about the animals. i can't wait to see their glorious new space that's in the works on elston. as a warning, there's an emphasis on CAGE-FREE here, so this might not be the best place for people who aren't super comfortable with cats or for small children to volunteer alongside their parents. the only slight hitch is that their volunteer hours at the shelter are quite limited, and i hope to see that change in the future. read more

What a great shelter! They really know their cats and will work with you to find the right pal. I've had my cat for 10 years and will go back when I adopt again. read more

Great experience here. To me, it is very obvious they do a great job in caring for their cats and giving sufficient testing and care. This place is leaps and bounds better than my experience in visiting either Treehouse location. We are considering a few kitties to adopt from our visit today and I am planning to donate as well. read more

This shelter is local to my neighborhood, so I would very much have liked to adopt from them. However, I have a dog, as well as other cats, and they would not let me adopt a cat because they could not guarantee how it would settle in. I have 30 years of cat experience and know how to socialize animals. It was disappointing not to be able to get a cat from this shelter. However, there are other shelters that are willing to allow cat adoptions into a mixed cat/dog household, so I'll keep looking. They were willing to sell me a bunch of other useless miscellaneous household stuff though. Nice folks. but don't go if you have a dog. read more

The majority of the cats to choose from were either old, obese, or on some kind of medication. I called this shelter 1 month before I came and was told that there would be kittens available next month. However, I am repeatedly told the same thing. Cats shown on the website are not even available for adoption. This was a waste of my time and false advertisement. read more

I'm on the other side of the fence. Someone dumped a 3 mnth old kitten on my property in the bleak cold of winter (2010). I was able to trap the little fluff ball. I had to, in all fairness, call it a feral kitten. Not many shelters will take ferals, but HH said that they would work with the kitten and try to turn her around. Usually, I just hate leaving an animal at a shelter, but I got such a good feeling when I walked into Harmony. I could see that the staff were dedicated, caring and hard working. What a relief this little furry one will have a chance at life. Animal control in my area would have been an alternative with probable much worse outcomes. I wish there were 1,000 more cageless cat shelters where the staff really care and work with the animals like at HH. Thank you Harmony House. Finding you for this little kitten was my best Christmas gift. ceegee read more

After visiting several times to find a cat for our home, my roommates and I decided not to adopt from HHC. We left very disappointed. We found several different cats that would fit into our home, but were given excuses as to why could not adopt them. The first cat we saw had to be spayed before she left and the staff had no answers as to when that would be. When we offered to pay for the spay ourselves with a vet we knew, we were told no. Another cat we saw and liked was sick, but after two weeks when he had clearly recovered, he was still in isolation. I saw other cats who were sick outside in general population, and I also saw a cat from gen pop sneaking in and out of iso. The second cat we fell in love with HAD to be adopted with someone from the same litter, according to staff. We were told that the litter mates were bonded and could not be separated because they would not do well. I work in the veterinary field and I know an independent personality when I see one. The cat would have done just fine. While we were there, we saw another group come in, who had also found their ideal cat. I listened as the staff gave THEM excuses why that particular cat ALSO had to be adopted with a cat from that floor, even though the folks already had a cat similar in personality at home. When I questioned the staff further, I realized their reasons had NO basis in science or any real knowledge of feline socialization and that these excuses simply did not hold water. They were adamantly refusing to give these cats up to good homes because we wouldn't adopt additional cats from them. Their hearts are in the right place, but their attachment to the cats is almost detrimental to the purpose of HHC. I left suspecting that perhaps the shelter should be call the "Hoarder House for Cats" instead. read more

As a disclaimer, I was a tag-along on this shelter visit. I already have two of my own furry love-bugs, and was only going to help my mom and sisters find their own kittens to take home. I had no personal stake in adopting here, but am incredibly outraged by the way we were treated and believe other families should know what they may be walking into. Also, if you have the nerve to try this place anyway, please go find Mr. Sanderson he's a beautiful loving & floppy ragdoll/persian mix that should go home ASAP :) It's not the kitties fault that one staff member is such a fail. If I had written my review 24 hours ago: This shelter is wonderful. The rooms are all kept clean and have plenty of windows for the cats to sit in and watch the butterflies outside. The gentleman who gave us the tour was professional and friendly, none of that holier-than-thou we're doing you a favor by allowing you to give a home to an orphan cat attitude that you find at some other shelters in the city. During the tour he casually asked us questions about our previous family pets. It felt nothing at all like the interrogation you get at some other rescues and shelters. He was also compassionate when learning that we'd recently lost a pure-bred cat to cancer. At no time during the hour did he give any indication that he felt uncomfortable adopting to my family. So, why one star? It's all in the staff. We went back today with high hopes; when we arrived a staff member was explaining to another family that they should go to anti-cruelty where there are other dogs and cats and perhaps an animal more suited to their family. They didn't look happy, but to be fair, perhaps they just didn't find the right pet at Harmony House. Then it was our turn, the staff member, a young woman, took us to the kitten room to meet some of the kittens. Immediately the interrogation began "I see you had other cats, tell me about them" "What about the ones that passed away, what happened to them" Well...one had cancer and passed away (common pure bred issue), two others many years ago had unidentified illnesses and had to be put down because they were clearly in pain and we couldn't do anything for them. "Well, but why, what did they have?" We don't know, one had a lot of blood in her urine and we couldn't seem to get her well again. "Your vet didn't know what she had?" "What was wrong with her" "Are your cats declawed? They are? Well do you know what the declaw process is, what it does to the cats?" We explained that yes, at the time it was standard procedure (7-18 yrs ago) when a family had very young children, but we had no plans to declaw future pets. This conversation lasted around 5 minutes. First she said the kittens wouldn't be adoptable for another month. We said that was ok, we could come back every weekend to visit with them until the ones we wanted were ready to go home. Then another family wanted to see the kittens. Staff woman said well, more people want to see them, it's time to move on. I asked her, how are we supposed to decide which kitten we would like to adopt when they're ready, we've only had a few minutes. She looked at us, and said, "well, I really don't think I can allow you to adopt any of our cats. You really seem to view pets more as things than as members of the family." Just like that, she'd decided in ten minutes that she knew us better than the gentleman that spoke to us for over an hour. The way she spoke to us, it's like she viewed us as irresponsible trash, unfit to adopt a homeless animal. Never have I felt so degraded by another human being--really, she has judgment down to a fine art. Well lady here's the deal, it's people like you that cause wonderful lovable kittens to sit in shelters until they're beyond prime adopting age. You and your kind are the reason why my cat, who I treat like my own child, sat in a shelter for a year and a half rather than getting adopted right away to a nice family. You do not have the best interest of the animals in mind, you have a god-complex and clearly treasure the power you have to denigrate other people under the guise of compassion for the kittens you're supposed to be finding homes for. To those thinking of adopting here, if you get a friendly gentleman, you're probably in good hands, or better than we were in today. Otherwise if you want to adopt here, I hope you've never lost a pet to an unexplained illness or cancer. If so, I hope you had a 6 figure income and no qualms about putting a sick animal through expensive invasive surgeries with only a minimal chance at recovery all so you can explain to this staff member--in detail, in front of your kids--that you really put your cat through as much pain and suffering as possible before allowing it to pass-away thus making you a fit guardian for a new furr-baby. Also, if you have young children, be careful. This particular staff member has no problem treating you like dirt and making you feel like a terrible person in front of them. read more

I'm amazed to see negative reviews of Harmony House. I have two cats from there. I adopted Starkist (now Dashiell) in May. When I said I wanted an older cat, thinking about 8 years old, shelter manager Jennifer took me around to see the likely suspects, who were considerably older than I'd hoped for. She soon realized that I didn't need a geriatric cat, after recently losing a loved pet.. She guided me to a handsome 5-year old who was shy at the shelter. She asked about me and my experiences, and felt this shy fellow would thrive in my house and be a good companion to my other cat. He has. Jennifer spent time to find the best cat for me. I've been to the shelter many times in past years, both at the old and new locations, for events and just to visit. It's always been immaculate. The cats are extremely well cared for. The only sick cats I've seen were being treated and observed in the Medical Ward for problems they came in with. Cats do sometimes die in shelters, especially with a population of 130. HHouse is a no-kill shelter in business for over 30 years. Some cats are never chosen and live all their lives at HHouse. The staff cares for the cats as if they were their own and honor their passing. HHouse was very lucky that a donor paid for the new "green" shelter. It's right to acknowledge this beautiful new facility, but it's cats that come first with the staff. I'd say - go and see for yourself. I'm sure you'll have a positive experience. read more

I am a current volunteer and I love it here. I have adopted two cats and am currently fostering another one. The staff is great and they really know cats. They are always able to answer all cat related questions . If your looking to volunteer or adopt I highly recommend this place. read more

Harmony House is fantastic. Their shelter is beautiful, modern, and clean. It's very clear that they care deeply about their cats and are completely devoted to finding truly good homes for them and do not want to adopt to people who won't treat them well or don't understand the commitment they're making. So they will probably ask you a lot of questions about yourself, your home, and any past or current pets. Please don't interpret that as them being snobby or difficult, as a recent reviewer did - they just want to make sure everyone walks away happy and that their cats are going somewhere safe and healthy. This weekend I adopted a cat as a companion for my current one, and the whole experience was great. I interacted with two different staff members and they were both friendly and knowledgeable about the cats - which is impressive, because they've got a LOT of kitties to keep straight! The paperwork process was straightforward and I walked out with a wonderful cat and an awesome tote bag full of food, toys, and treats. I couldn't be happier with my experience and highly recommend coming here if you're looking to add a cat to your family. read more

This is by far the best adoption agency we have visited. The people are nonjudgmental and helpful and not at all pushy. They seem honest and allow you to spend quality time with a cat before deciding. read more

I visited this shelter on two occasions and was quite impressed with their operations! The staff is quite lovely and the facility is remarkably clean! The cageless environment is a welcome change from the traditional animal shelters, too! read more

This is by far The Best no kill cat shelter in the state. I just signed up to be a volunteer. The entire staff, volunteers and board really cares about every single cat! I would be honored if they accepted me. read more

We have supported Harmony House for years and always visit when we are in Chicago. Great staff and very dedicated.

Harmony House has moved since I first adopted my 2 cats. The new shelter is eco-friendly and to see the cats having more windows and space to run around is just amazing! read more

We adopted a 4 month old kitten from Harmony House on Dec. 31, 2008 , eight months ago. We have 3 other cats varying in ages. Harmony House staff were so helpful in assisting us and just letting us browse and sort of just get a sense of the cats and kittens. They were great. We saw a little orange tabby kitten huddled between his 2 little siblings in a little kitty condo, very shy, yet he had that look in his eyes and you could just feel that he was going to be kind gentle and mischievious. He is all of the above and more!! He is great and now he is almost a year old and loves his two brothers and his sister and his human family and he is the happiest, healthiest cat. Harmony House is such an amazing place with amazing people working there and I truly hope if you can help support H.H. you will they truly deserve it, for all the work they do and all of the care they give the animals they are all special read more

I have been to this facility several times and it is WONDERFUL! The rooms are so unique and very cat friendly! I loved how the cats were not in cages and the staff were on the floor playing with them. It was such a wonderful site to see! I have adopted two cats from Harmony House and have recommended them to several family and friends and they have adopted also :-) I have NEVER been there and not felt welcome! The staff is great and very knowledgeable. Its awesome how each and every volunteer know so much about each cat from their name to what they like and their personality! I would NEVER go anywhere else to adopt a cat or kitten. Harmony House for Cats has the cats best interest at heart! I do not really care if I am treated poorly just as long as there is somewhere for these cats to play and feel at home and NOT in cages!!! But I have ALWAYS been treated with the utmost respect from each and every staff member I came in contact with and so has my family and friends that have adopted from them. Please remember this place is cage free and these cats are not on the streets or being abused this is a place that cares about cats!!!!! I will always adopt from here and will always recommend them!!!! read more